4 billion baht to be sought from cabinet next week to help farming sector in South

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will ask the cabinet next Tuesday for an emergency fund amounting to 4 billion baht from the Central Fund to help farmers and livestock raisers affected by recent flooding in southern provinces.

The fund will be used to help livestock raisers, to secure raw materials to be provided to farmers so they can restart making a living, to repair damaged irrigation system and to cover fuel costs and allowances for officials, said agriculture deputy permanent secretary Lertvirote Kowattana on Wednesday.

A meeting was held at the ministry on Wednesday to work out a roadmap to help the farming sector affected by the recent flooding in the southern region. According to the roadmap, the aid programme is divided into three periods: emergency stage from January 17-31; short-term period from January to September and long-term period from this year until 2020.

As for the 3,000 baht handout for each household, Lertvirote said the matter was still under consideration to make sure that only those who deserve to get help would receive the handout.

The Royal Irrigation Department, meanwhile, reported that flood situation in six southern provinces has eased. They are Yala, Ranong, Pattani, Krabi, Narathiwat and Chumporn.